Doctors Need Checkups Too

Dot could think of a thousand and one things that could go wrong, but she didn't express them. All she could think about was going back to the shed and really figuring out the truth behind her childhood. One part of her was more than scared to be adventuring back down into that shed, but another part felt a strange excitement that she couldn't quite place; she had never felt like that before.

"So," the doctor said confidently, "are you ready for this?"

Dot didn't really know or understand how she felt, but she nodded nonetheless. She figured it was now or never.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Doc, honey," her father had called her from the kitchen that first day of her exposure therapy. Dot's dad had never gotten out the habit of calling his daughter "Doc"—no matter how much her doctor and mother had begged him to. To him, Dot was still on the path to become a successful doctor, and some silly childhood fantasies couldn't change that. Personally, he thought all the doctor stuff was a load of bullshit, and if it were up to him, she'd stop visiting those doctors a while back. He didn't trust those hogwash vaccines they handed out either—maybe they were the reason Dot was into her toys a little bit longer than other kids.

"Coming, Daddy," she called, jogging down the stairs. She was a little nervous—but even more excited—for her big day.

"Good morning, love," he placed a kiss on his daughter's head. "I made your favorite blueberry pancakes."

"Thanks, Dad," she smiled.

"I'm so very proud of you. Your mom and I have to work this morning, but your therapist is outside, and she'll be with you when you finish eating."

"Okay," Dot smiled again, but she was kind of bummed out that her dad wouldn't be here for this new development in her recovery."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Dad." Dot hurried to eat her breakfast. She was so excited that was getting a weird tingly feeling between her legs. She had never felt that was before, but she kind of liked it.

"Hey, Dottie," Debbi greeted her outside.

"Good morning."

"Here's the rundown for today," the woman said, hopping right into it. "You're gonna go inside the shed for about an hour or two, and I'll just wait out here."

"Wait," Dot frowned, "are you sure that this is how exposure therapy works? Aren't I supposed to start with a little at a time?"

"Well, what do you know?" the woman snapped. "I'm the doctor here."

Dot wanted to laugh in the woman's face, but this new cockiness of the therapist was something Dot could fuck with. She was being a little bitch, but at least she wasn't a nervous wreck. "I guess you're right," Dot shrugged. "So do I just step in or..."

"Well, duh, Dottie. Get the hell in! We don't have all day!"

With an eye roll, Dot stepped right up towards the shed, but then it hit her. She hadn't stepped foot in this place since she was thirteen.

She didn't know what to expect at all. Did it look exactly how she left it? Were all her old toys in boxes? Maybe she wasn't ready for this at all?

"Stop stalling, Dottie, and get your ass in there!" the woman yelled, throwing open the shed door.

"Wait!" Dottie cried. "I don't think I'm ready. How about—"

"How about you get in?" the doctor yelled, shoving the girl into the room and slamming the door. "I'm not letting you out of this shed until I feel like it," the woman shouted.